rabbits, guinea pigs,mice, goldfish, finches and parakeets. As a young child she dreamt of living in a farm,

and animals were already her favorite subject, especially jungle wildlife.The family spent their summers

in the countryside, and in 1923 they bought a large farm on Georgetown Island, Maine.

Ten Big Farms, 1958

In 1936, at age 19, Dahlov married Adolph Ipcar, and the following winter the young couple

moved into a farmhouse on her parent's property. Both enjoyed their simple rural life devoid

of modern conveniences such as electricity, indoor plumbing and central heating.

They learnt the skills necessary for living off the land from neighbors and old manuals,
and started their own dairy farm. Besides cows, they raised poultry, horses and pigs,

all without outside help.

Brown Cow Farm, 1959

While working on the farm and raising her two sons, Ipcar continued to work on her art.

Her chosen subjects were family portraits and scene of farm life. In 1945 she illustrated

her first children's book,The Little Fisherman by Margaret Wise Brown.

Hard Scrabble Harvest, 1976

The book's success launched her artistic career, and she went on to write and illustrate

over thirty children's books of her own. Numerous of these books are based

on her joyful and frustrating experiences while working on the farm.

In the '50s Dahlov began experimenting with new artistic ideas, and found inspiration in her childhood lovefor exotic animals. The 1960 book Calico Jungle marked a turning point in her style: the intricate patterns
and bold colors of these illustrations were to become defining elements of her work.

The Cat at Night, 1969

Bug City, 1975

Blue Savannah, 1978

King Cheetas

Amboseli - Kudo and Wild Dogs, 1976

Dahlov's creative output includes a variety of other projects, including soft sculptures, large-scale murals

for public buildings, four fantasy novels, and a volume of short stories for adults. Now 92,

she continues to live on her farm, while her beloved husband died in 2003 at the age of 98.

Celeste from the Dahlov Ipcar Rug Collection

Still feisty and energetic, Dahlov paints on a daily basis and is at works on new children's books.

Fortunately, many of her older titles are being republished byIslandport Press, while a line of rugs

I have just discovered your blog... I am going to become a fan !I love your animalarium, those mixtures between animals and graphics !!I often draw my own bestiary.Thank you for the discovery of Dahlov Ipcar !